CONTEMPORARY ISSUES: InterNova Vol. 1 • 2022

By p.machinery

Issue #1 is titled "Contemporary Issues" and its content is:

Brandon Crilly (Canada) "Remembrance"
Adriana Alarco de Zadra (Peru) "The Jellyfish"
Louis Evans (USA) "Babies Come from Earth"
Bruce Golden (USA) "The Withering"
Guy Hasson (Israel) "The Assassination"
Helmuth W. Mommers (Austria) "Download"
Ana Cristina Rossi (Costa Rica) "Abel"
C.M. Teodorescu (Romania) The Death of Mr. Teodorescu"
Frank Roger (Belgium) "The Colony"

• Language: English
• Publisher: p.machinery
• Release date: Aug 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9783957658036

Book preview

InterNOVA online

Volume 01 · 2022

This e-book is free for personal use only. It may be obtained via direct download from www.pmachinery.de/internova/online/in01.zip. It is not permitted to share this e-book via social media, peer to peer networks and the like.

Unauthorized distribution might be persecuted as a copyright violation.

The copyright of all contributions remains with the respective writers.

© of this issue: August 2022

p.machinery Michael Haitel

Editor: Michael K. Iwoleit

Proofreading: Adriana Kantcheva

Cover picture: Anaterate (Pixabay)

Layout & cover design: global:epropaganda

Production: global:epropaganda

Publisher: p.machinery Michael Haitel

Norderweg 31, DE-25887 Winnert

www.pmachinery.de

www.internova-sf.de

ISBN ePub: 978 3 95765 804 3

ISBN PDF: 978 3 95765 803 6

Editorial

When in summer 2002 Helmuth W. Mommers, Ronald M. Hahn and me founded the science fiction magazine Nova which was primarily conceived as a forum for contemporary science fiction stories in German, it was part of our concept to include in each issue one translated story by a foreign guest writer. Although famous writers such as Brian W. Aldiss and Greg Egan supported our endeavor with contributions and we published a number of British and Northern American writers over the years, our focus was on countries and regions whose local science fiction production was, like the German, generally neglected by the Anglo-American centered science fiction markets, regardless of their quality. While looking for interesting stories, we established so many new contacts that soon the idea came up to publish an international edition of our magazine that would feature stories from all over the world in English or English translation. The first and unfortunately only issue of InterNova, as Nova's sister magazine was dubbed, was published in 2005, but the time wasn't ripe for a magazine like that, especially due to distribution problems. Still, InterNova made its contribution to a movements towards a global science fiction that has continuously grown stronger and more comprehensive since then. Especially our successful fellow Lavie Tidhar from Israel and the Apex Book Company in the USA played a major role in it. Around 2010 I continued InterNova as a web magazine for a while. A planed relaunch with new design and regular publishing schedule didn't come about as health problems kept me unable to work for several years, The idea of an international science fiction magazine, however, was never given up.

After moving Nova to its new publisher p.machinery it turned out soon that owner Michael Haitel and me not only collaborate marvelously but also have in common that both like to take risks and start something new. It didn't take me much, thus, to convince Michael to give InterNova another chance. The preparations for the restart took some time. Writers from all over the world submitted almost hundred short stories and novellas as well as numerous articles and interviews. The first result of our efforts is presented to you here now. It is planed that InterNova will run with four to six online issues and one printed issue each year, the latter published by p.machinery and available internationally through all common distribution channels. The online issues will alternate between mixed issues with writers from various countries and themed issues about the science fiction of particular countries and regions. But even the general issues will have a theme motto and present stories with a lose thematic connection. In the present issue writers tackle, in very different ways, topics that are of relevance in the current world situation. We hope that our readers will enjoy reading these remarkable tales.

I have to thank all writers who contributed stories to the new InterNova and to all the fans and editors who helped me to make contacts. A special thanks goes to Adriana Kantcheva who was the first to join in as a volunteer editorial helper.

Michael K. Iwoleit

July 2022

Brandon Crilly: Remembrance

Anna turned from the cutting board when she heard the door open behind her and saw her father finally emerge from the basement.

He rubbed his bleary eyes as he shuffled into the kitchen, the servos in his right leg whirring and squeaking. He was still wearing his cotton pajamas and fleecy blue robe even though it was nearing one o’clock in the afternoon. Without a word, he sat down at the kitchen table and idly scratched at the stubble on his jaw.

It took all of her will for Anna not to say something. She chewed the top of her lip until it started to sting but stopped before she drew blood like she had last time. With a sigh, she went back to chopping the celery for their lunch.

She heard the front door slide open and sighed, knowing that only one person was supposed to be visiting them that day. The sound of heels clicking reached the kitchen a few moments ahead of Dorothy, her father’s physiotherapist — or air-headed technician as far as Anna was concerned. Cheery, red-headed Dorothy was supposed to be a specialist, assigned by the company that donated the artificial leg to Anna’s dad, but somehow she hadn’t gotten the whir or the squeak out of it yet.

Afternoon, Mr. Sheldon! Dorothy greeted as she walked past the counter where Anna was standing. Everything going well today?

Already played a few rounds of cards with the squad, Anna’s father said. Just finished a few minutes ago.

Anna could picture his eyes lighting up as he spoke. She finished chopping the celery with more gusto than necessary and dropped it into the food processor with enough force to make it rattle.

Neither of them seemed to notice the outburst. Dorothy was in front of the fridge, calling up the calendar on the embedded touch screen. For some reason she could never remember how long her session with Anna’s father was supposed to be even though the length rarely changed. Anna needed to get some more vegetables from the fridge, so she waited with arms crossed for Dorothy to finish. Her father had gone back to scratching his stubble.

Dorothy finished checking her schedule. Then, as per usual, she noticed the screen’s background image had been changed to a rolling springtime meadow, and with a casual flick of one finger changed it to a close-up shot of five figures in army uniforms. Her daily ritual complete, she left to get her equipment, which was stored in a cupboard elsewhere.

Anna glared at Dorothy’s retreating back and then crossed to the fridge. As calmly as she could, she retrieved a few more vegetables for the ground medley she was making. When she shut the door, she spent a moment staring at the new image on the screen — or rather, the old one. She and Dorothy fought a weekly battle over that image, two women in their early thirties feuding like little girls. Anna refused to give up. She would not look at the photo of those five soldiers every time she came into the kitchen. It didn’t matter that it was one of her father’s favorite pictures, or even that he was in it, smiling and laughing with his old comrades from Afghanistan. Anna refused to have that image showing in their home.

Dorothy returned with her equipment, a small scanner and an adjustor, as Anna was adding the last ingredients to the processor. The physiotherapist crouched down in front of Anna’s father and asked him to start moving his artificial leg while she ran the scanner over it.

So, how is the squad today, Mr. Sheldon? she asked cheerily.

Oh, they’re fine, just fine, Anna’s father said. His voice gained more inflection as he spoke as though each word was an energy boost. I actually managed to beat Rick today. You should have seen his face! He said he’s never going to play cards with me again, but I know he’ll be up for it again tomorrow. I think we’re going down to the river after lunch.

Well, that sounds lovely! Dorothy said, practically cooing. Be sure to say ‘hi’ to them for me, as always.

You know I will...

Anna tried to tune them out. While every word brightened her father, it only tightened the knot in her stomach. She preferred to be elsewhere when Dorothy was around, but she had to make sure her father got his lunch. The gnawing hunger he must have been feeling was the only reason he left the basement, after all.

For the hundredth time, she wished her mother were there. Her mother had been able to deal with everything far better than Anna could. She could have handled Dorothy. Anna just stood there, making lunch and trying to ignore the conversation behind her.

After a few minutes, Dorothy clicked her tongue in satisfaction, signaling that her father’s session was over. At the same time, the processor poured the ground vegetables onto three plates, which Anna deftly carried over to the table. Anna always made enough for Dorothy to eat when she was around, but only because her father had once insisted that it was polite.

Dorothy didn’t even acknowledge Anna as the plates were set down; she seldom did. Instead, she turned to Anna’s father and said, "Now, you be sure to have a nice, long walk with the squad when you go to the river. I want you to keep that leg from seizing, but more importantly,